Process of treating pulp.



PATENTED DEC. 29, 1903.

J. H. RIVERS.

PROCESS OF TREATING PULP.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 13, 1903.

2 SHBBTS;SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

w Puorautnm WASHINGTON. u. c.

No. 748,014. PATENTED DEC. 29, 1903. J. H. RIVERS.

PROCESS OF TREATING PULP.

APPLIGATION TILED MAR. 1903' NO MODEL. 2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

NITED STATES Patented December 29, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

JULIAN H. RIVERS, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED STATESFIBER STOPPER COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF SOUTHDAKOTA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 748,014, dated December29, 1903.

Application filed March 13,1903. Serial No. 147,634. (No specimens.)

To all whom it m/tt'y concern:

Be it known that I, J ULIAN H. RIVERS, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement in Processes of Treating Pulp, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact descrip-i tion, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse IO the same, reference being had to the accompan'ying drawings,forming part of this speci-.

1 mentioned thin web is to deliver this thin fication, in which- Figurel is a side elevation of an apparatus for carrying out the presentprocess. Fig. 2

I5 is an end view looking from the left of Fig. 1, the forming-machinebeing removed and the' Fig. 3 is a top exhaust-pipe being broken. planview of the condensing mechanism. Fig. 4 is a central longitudinalsectional elezo vation of the same, and Fig. 5 is a transverse sectionalelevation on about the line 5 5 of Fig. 4.

My invention relates to improvements in.

processes for treating pulp stock, my object 2 5 being, primarily, toprovide a process by means of'which pulp in a very fluid condition,

such as that in which it is when mixed, can

be so treated that it is formed into a web of proper consistency to beacted upon by a suit 3o able apparatus for producing finishedartiales-such, for example, as stoppers.

A further object of my invention is to so treat the pulp that it ispreliminarily dried,

sufficient moisture being extracted to permit the pulp to assume thecondition of a thin sheet. This sheet is piled, and the pile of thinstock is gradually condensed to the proper consistency.

To these ends and also to improve gener- 0 ally upon processes of thecharacter indicated my invention consists in the various matters thewater is permitted to rapidly pass 0%, and

the thin web of pulp is readily delivered from such surface. The thinweb is then piled, and this pile of pulp is compressed or condensed,certain moisturebeing expelled from the pulp during this compressing orcondensing action. Preferably between the time that the pulp is piledand that at which it is compressed or condensed moisture is extracted. Aconvenient means of effecting the desired steps after the pulp is formedinto the aforeweb upon a reticulated carrier, so that the thin web canpile upon the carrier as it is delivered from the surface upon which itis preliminarily dried, and this carrier carries the piled pulp tosuitable condensing or compressing devices, the openings in the carrierpermitting the moisture to escape from the pulp upon the same. I

Such being the general features of the present process, I shall nowdescribe the apparatus illustrated in the accompanying drawings, thisapparatus being one by means of which the process can be practiced.

In said drawings, E indicates a frame of any suitable construction bymeans of which the parts of the apparatus are supported.

A represents the vat or hopper for receiving the pulp to be treated.

B indicates the preliminary drying apparatus, O the condensingmechanism, and D the forming machine for acting upon the stock treatedby my present process.

The preliminary drying device is supported below the hopper A and ishere shown as comprising a cylindrical screen 37, supported upon asuitable shaft 33, this shaft preferably supporting a drip-cup39 withinthe screen, said drip-cup being adapted to receive moisture escapingfrom the pulp spread over the screen and having at its lower portion adischarge-pipe 41. A spout or delivery-pipe 44 delivers the pulp fromthe hopper A upon an inclined trough 42, and this trough delivers to thesaid screen 37. The trough and screen IOO mentioned drip-cup, asufficient quantity of water escaping to cause the pulp to be deliveredfrom the screen in a thin web.

Upon suitable rollers is a conveyerscreen 46,which is below thecylindrical screen 37 and adapted to receive the thin web delivered fromthe said cylindrical screen. The said screen 46 travels in a linesubstantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the screen 37.Suitably supported above the said con- Veyer-screen and between thedelivery end of the same and the point at which it receives the pulpfrom the preliminary drying devices is a series of compressing-rolls 54,which are preferably adjustably mounted in any suitable and convenientmanner, these rolls being at different heights from the surface of thesaid conveyor-screen and gradually approachin g said screen toward itsdelivery end. The said conveyer-screen is shown in the drawings asdelivering to the feed trough or raceway 67 of the forming-machine D.

Intermediate the top and bottom sheets of the conveyer-screen is a boxor casing 68, having an open top over which the pulp-receiving portionof the conveyer-screen travels, and an exhaust-pipe 69 leads from saidcasing to the eye of an exhaust-fan or similar device 70.

-A main shaft 74 receives power from any suitable source, as from theshaft 73 of the forming-machine, and through suitable con- .nections, asbeveled gears 80 and 81, said main shaft 74 imparts rotation to one ofthe rollers45, whereby the said conveyor-screen is driven. Said shaft 74is also connected to the shaft 33, upon which the rotatable screen 37 iscarried. The driving connections are such that the screen 37 rotates ata relatively high speed compared to the rate of travel of theconveyer-screen 46, by reason of which the screen 37 can feed the thinweb to the conveyer-screen 46 with sufficient rapidity to cause this webto pile upon the conveyerscreen. The piled pulp is then fed to thecondensing-rolls 54 and is condensed to the desired consistency, the fan70 serving to suck certain of the moisture from the pulp on theconveyer-screen.

I am aware that minor changes in the several steps of my process may bemade and substituted for those herein described without in the leastdeparting from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim,'and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. The process of treating pulp stock or the like,which consistsinpreliminarily drying the same, producing a pile of the thus-dried pulp,and then condensing said piled pulp into a mass; substantially asdescribed.

2. The process of treating pulp stock or the like, which consists informing the stock into a thin web, piling said web, and then condensingthe said pile into a mass; substantially as described. 3. The process oftreating pulp stock or the like, which consists in producing apreliminarily-dried web, piling said web, and then subjecting the piledWeb to pressure and suction; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature, in the presence oftwo witnesses, this 28th day of January, 1903.

JULIAN H. RIVERS.

